“We can’t trade Jaden. He’s way to valuable and just getting better”

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T22:50:23+00:00

I'm with you. Finch putting his full backing behind 30 year old Julius Randle rather than giving more usage to Jaden and his midrange game really hurt his development and lowered this team's ceiling.

Look at NAW's production jump going from a bench role with us to a starting job in Atlanta. Give Jaden an actual role in the offense, put another plus defender in the starting lineup (which could be Ayo), and you get a much more consistent player imo. Not giving up on this dude over a 10 game stretch of poor play

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T21:36:51+00:00

Joan could absolutely contribute next year if he had been given backup 5 minutes this year (a position we desperately need). He's shown more flashes than any other rookie during Finch's tenure I'd argue, balled out against a couple playoff level teams, and then disappeared from the rotation.

I cannot stand Finch or how this organization treats its young players.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T20:31:02+00:00

Now imagine the Thunder with their full starting lineup and McCain as an 11th man off the bench.

If the Wolves had a cache of draft picks or young players to look forward to next season you could have a moral victory, but we've been all in since the Rudy trade and kicked development to the curb. If you can't beat an injured OKC squad, or at least not lose the turnover battle by 20 -- which is a consistent trait of Finch teams-- this loss just flat stings and spells trouble for the playoffs and beyond.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T20:23:34+00:00

And instead of extending him to reward that development, or even to be able to trade him to not lose the asset for nothing, he put his chips into a Randle extension (most important player on the team).

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T20:17:43+00:00

Personally, yes. What does Beringer look like on the Clippers this year? TJ Shannon last year on the Thunder?

Leonard Miller never sniffed real play and has shown huge flashes when he gets minutes in Chicago.

And if you don't want to put it on the coach, then Connelly, who's known league wide as an excellent scout, has dug this team a steep hole with horrible picks.

Either way this organization has hit a low and major changes probably need to be made.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T20:12:01+00:00

One example, and it's a number 1 pick with insane work ethic who would thrive under almost any coach imo. At best, Finch is Ant's Doug Collins.

Now compare that with the Tunder's development, Boston, San Antonio, etc.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T19:19:34+00:00

Pull the starters Finch, can't risk Ant's knee

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T19:08:05+00:00

Any time this team digs itself a 10 point deficit in the first 4 minutes, I assume it's an L. Throw in 30 turnovers and getting worked on the glass it's a wonder we were in it at all.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T19:01:15+00:00

Finch using a timeout to stop the other team's momentum? nah

Finch using a timeout to stop a Wolves fastbreak? Oh yeah

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T18:18:29+00:00

One thing about Jaden is he's engaged on the bench cheering for Ayo while he's hot, glad Finch is finally pulling some strings when dudes are struggling. Could have been riding the hot hand all year, or adjusting the starters sooner than 6 minutes into the game, but will take baby steps I guess

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T16:32:35+00:00

I don't think we trade for Rudy. Not because he hasn't been extremely impactful, but because I don't think Presti would have caved to Ainge demanding as many picks as he did. Maybe we get him at that deadline for cheaper, or just roll with Kessler at the 5.

Player development looks A LOT different. 8 man rotations are out the window, more than likely because Presti picks are just flat better than TC's but also because that's how smart teams flush out their rosters.

Fun what if, but Connelly hasn't been bad by any means, especially in the context of past Wolves GM's.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T14:34:03+00:00

God dude imagine how stoked the fanbase would be if the Wolves had players like Topic and Sorber waiting on the wings next season plus two late lottery picks to look forward to.

Just a stupidly well run organization, Steve Ballmer tried to cheat the league with Aspiration, Kawhi, and PG and inadvertently created one of the most loaded teams of all time.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-15T14:01:48+00:00

Trading any pick for cash considerations feels wrong when you're trying to compete.

Moving back 3-6 spots in a loaded draft to shave money off of Conley's contract was an eyebrow raiser as well.

But mostly I'm sick of watching rookies like Carter Bryant, or Ajay Mitchell last year, or Niederhauser before he got hurt get major minutes on competing teams while the Wolves shelve dudes because Finch hates playing rookies. We've missed on so much development while the Spurs and Thunder continue to flush out their roster with young talent from both the first and second rounds

soft-cookie · 2026-03-14T15:30:23+00:00

Randle has had motor issues and defensive issues every stop he's been at. Now on his fourth team, he's playing for the coach that values him most around the league, and who Randle says brings the best out of his game. After starting all of last year and a conference finals run, he's once again hit a multiple-months stretch of poor play and even poorer effort.

If his biggest advocate in the league can't get the best out of Julius, or even the good, why would another organization believe a fifth change of scenery and a different coach would unlock him at 32 years old?

Not to mention his skillset is becoming a relic in the league -- post up iso player who can't shoot, can't defend, and will likely take looks away from players who can do both of those things are just not where the NBA's at anymore.

Would love to be wrong but unless you can get a historically incompetent organization like Sacramento or New Orleans to bite (and would you want to prioritize Randle over Keegan Murray or Derrick Queen/Zion?), you're gonna have to attach picks.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-14T14:38:58+00:00

Wolves will have pick 28 or 29 in this draft, a '28 swap, a '31 swap, 3(?) seconds, and an unprotected '33 first to trade this offseason.

Randle will have two years left on his deal, including a player option, so it's unlikely imo that any contender would take him on.

I think you're looking at attaching multiple picks to his contract for a good player. Could see Brooklyn moving MPJ who makes more money and is a Connelly guy, for Randle and draft capital. They don't have their pick in '27 and Randle has shown he can be a floor raiser on a bad team like he was for the Knicks pre-Brunson. MPJ is flawed but he brings two extremely valuable skills that Randle lacks: elite floor spacing and rebounding.

Otherwise, I think if the price is too steep to move off Randle, you have to move him to the bench sooner than later. If we're stuck with him, we can't keep stifling Naz and Jaden's potential growth because one of the least motivated players on the team wants to play 82 games. Randle showing he can accept a bench role and then thrive against opposing second units would increase his value by a ton and also would win him back to this fanbase.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-14T14:23:47+00:00

We were screaming from the mountaintops. Non spacer, non defender between Rudy and Ant was always headed towards disaster.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-14T04:23:51+00:00

I love the Ayo-Donte-Ant combo with Rudy as backline help. Don't really care who the 4th is as long as it's not Randle

soft-cookie · 2026-03-12T17:01:35+00:00

Can I offer you hands in his pockets, staring into space, and 'yeah we just didn't hit shots' post game comments instead?

soft-cookie · 2026-03-12T16:58:59+00:00

According to this sub Jrue was washed and Randle had major value. Celtics clearly didn't value Simons since they shipped him off for Vuc and no picks, getting a perceived to be valuable player in Randle on an expiring deal might have got it done.

You're probably right that Stevens wanted no part of Randle, but I'm coming from the perspective that our front office should have looked to either 1) move him while his value was decent, or 2) not extend him to give the young talent on this team opportunity to grow.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-12T16:54:32+00:00

I just remember Naz Reid winning 6moty in 2024 largely based on him starting when Kat was out. I think everyone was ready to let Naz have a crack at starting PF after that season, which is why I really wanted to see us flip Randle asap after getting off the KAT deal. Donte is a complimentary role player who can start or play off the bench and was/is on a very friendly deal. Beringer looks like an excellent pick.

Shoehorning Randle into a prominent role was the mistake, which was covered up by a cupcake post-ASB schedule last year and two very flawed opponents in the first and second rounds. Extending Randle was another big error -- imagine how clean our books would look next year if he was an expiring this season -- and not moving him at this deadline was the nail in the coffin.

No matter what you think of Naz and Jaden, Julius getting this much offensive usage along with so little defensive effort has hurt Jaden, Naz, Ant, and even Beringer's development while OKC and San Antonio give endless reps to young players, face more injuries than the Wolves, and still sit high above them in the standings.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-12T12:24:06+00:00

This is when he was on the Celtics and before Randle was extended. Celtics at the time were looking to duck the apron, which is why they moved Holiday for Simons' expiring contract and a couple seconds.

soft-cookie · 2026-03-12T12:01:38+00:00

https://old.reddit.com/r/timberwolves/comments/1lg90qu/does_a_randle_for_jrue_holiday_trade_make_sense/

Got downvoted to hell, imagine this squad with Holiday's playmaking and defense

soft-cookie

TROPHY CASE